Is Codeine legal in Bahrain?
- Legal status
- Codeine is a controlled narcotic under Decree-Law No. 15 of 2007; low-dose codeine is below the capital tier absent trafficking. Bahrain retains the death penalty for aggravated trafficking on paper (most sentences commuted), and capital does not attach to therapeutic codeine.
- Consequences if caught
- Aggravated trafficking is death-eligible on paper; unauthorised possession of codeine draws imprisonment, while prescribed use is lawful.
- If prescribed or medical
- Dispensed as a controlled prescription medicine.
- Documentation
- NHRA/Ministry of Health prior approval may be required for controlled-medicine import - carry a prescription.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Bahrain’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.
Before you travel
Verify current rules with the destination country’s official drug authority and your own country’s embassy before traveling. Find the destination’s U.S. embassy & official country guidance →
Non-U.S. travelers: check your own government’s travel advisory and embassy.
If you’re detained or arrested abroad
Contact your own country’s embassy or consulate in the destination immediately — not the destination’s authorities. U.S. citizens: contact the nearest U.S. embassy/consulate and the U.S. State Department at +1-202-501-4444 (from abroad). If a U.S. citizen is arrested or detained abroad →